Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarras: the other side of Andalucia

                                   


Andalucia is for almost every visitor a region where one finds Flamenco Bars, Fiestas, beaches, the Alhambra and Sherry. Just an hour drive from Granada or the Mediterranean sea the mountains of the Sierra Nevada rise to almost 3.500m. The Alpujarra, on the south side of the Sierra Nevada, offers endless waves of hills in the hot sun, cool evening air, lush vegetation, views of snow covered peaks and fantastic hikes between the many small ancient villages.

General Information
Weather
- Yahoo! Weather for Sierra Nevada
- Intellicast Forecast for Granada

Maps
- Satellite Map of Andalucia from National Geographic
- Map of Bubion and Capileira in the Alpujarras (1:150.000) from multimap
- Map of Guejar Sierra and Prado Llano, Sierra Nevada (1:150.000) from multimap


- Sierra Nevada National Park Map (1:50.000) for both Tours (188k)


- Map (1:50.000) (68k) of the tour to the Pico de Veleta


- Map (1:50.000) (28k) of the tour to the Laguna de la Caldera

Travel Information

 How to get there
Sierra Nevada (northern part of the mountain range) and Alpujarras (southern part) are both accessed easily from Granada. Bus Services operate on a regular basis to Prado Llano (seasonal) and the villages of the Alpujarra. For more information, check out the links below.

Travelling in the area
The local public transport system from the Granada bus station is excellent and you can find a network of transport to access the rather remote areas e.g. Orgiva,  Pampaneira, Bubion, Capileira, Pitres, Trevelez etc.


Activities
The Sierra Nevada mountain range is in winter time of course mainly used for skiing, as it is the only area in southern Spain were you will find snow from November till February. But during summer the Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarras are the perfect region for lots of outdoor activities, such as mountaineering, climbing, mountain biking, horse riding, para-gliding all at whatever level. Reservations must be made to ensure success for you and the organisers.
Hiking
Hiking is possible at all levels - and will even have mountaineering aspects if you wish. You can stay in the mountains for a week, hiking and trekking from summit to summit in the highest regions of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. For the weekend, you can cross the range from north to south via Veleta and Mulhacen, the highest mountain in continental Spain. You can do some forest walks or day trips to selected mountains. No matter what you do, the Sierra Nevada allows you to cool down and relax during the hot summer months and until late June you may find  snow above 3.000m, a cooling joy on its own.
- Tour: From Prado Llano to the Pico de Veleta, 3.394m
- Tour: From Capileira to the Laguna de la Caldera, 3.020m


Information Flyer of the National Park Administration


Specials
...things you shouldn't miss!
Try the local cooking of the Alpujarra which differs a lot from the typical andalucian cooking. The speciality of these villages is "local food", they offer real mountain soup, migas (keeps you going all day), lamb, Trevelez trout, mountain cured ham and some  very nice local wines. Have you forgotten the taste of real fruit and vegetables, walk along the local paths and ask the owners of the land beside the path to try the taste of his tomatoes, figs, almonds and a whole host of other seasonal goodies. A taste you will never forget. After the walk enjoy a nice wine in a local bar and savour the tapa he gives you to assist in your enjoyment of his wares, an appetizer to the wonderful meals on offer.


..things you shouldn't do!
Don't think of home, think of the Alpujarra. Don't forget to bring adequate clothes for your trip, get yourself a reliable map if you wish to leave the roads and marked trails. When you come to the Alpujarras via Lanjaron, don't stop there or anywhere in the lower parts of the valley, this could make you turn around and miss wonderful more hidden places like Pampaneira, Pitres, Busquistar or Trevelez!